Marreese Speights looks to bring toughness to Warriors

OAKLAND -- The Warriors introduced their answer to the departure of Carl Landry on Friday: the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Marreese Speights.

"I bring another big man who really knows the system, knows how to run the court," he said from the team's downtown facility. "I bring some toughness, a guy who wants to win."

Speights signed his three-year, free-agent deal, worth $11 million according to a team source, and passed a physical. He is now officially the Warriors' best hope for inside scoring and toughness off the bench.

Last season, that role went to Landry, and he played it aptly. Landry averaged 23.2 minutes off the bench and gave the Warriors 10.8 points on 54 percent with six rebounds. He played center and power forward, picking up the slack with starting center Andrew Bogut hurt most of the year.

But Landry left as a free agent, landing a reported four-year, $26 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.

Golden State is now banking on Speights, who turns 26 in August. Entering his sixth season, he is averaging 7.8 points on 47.2 percent shooting with 4.4 rebounds in 16.4 minutes for his career. So it's going to take a career year from Speights to match the kind of production Landry brought.

He's shown some signs of that potential. While with Memphis in the lockout shortened 2011-12 season, he softened the blow when Zach Randolph went down with an injury. Speights averaged 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 54 starts that season.

After being traded to Cleveland last season, he averaged 10.2 points in 18.5 minutes with the Cavaliers.

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Speights said Golden State is the right situation for him to have a breakout season.

"You can't get better than this," he said of the Warriors. "That's what you really dream for when you're in the league, to be on a team that makes the playoffs. A great city like this, and a great organization, a great coach, and a great group of guys -- that is always a great fit."

The Warriors are expected to make the signings of center Jermaine O'Neal and guard Toney Douglas next week, when the two will arrive in Oakland to sign their contracts and take their physicals.

The plethora of agreements reached during the NBA's moratorium period has created a back log at the league office, which is why several moves were delayed in becoming official.

Rookie guard Nemanja Nedovic, whom the Warriors selected No. 30 overall in last month's draft, sprained his right ankle and is questionable for Golden State's summer league opener in Las Vegas.

Golden State plays its first game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Washington's squad. Second-year players Draymond Green and Kent Bazemore highlight the Warriors' roster, which will be led by assistant coach Darren Erman.

Nedovic sprained his ankle Thursday in a scrimmage against an NBA Development League team that will play in summer league. He was walking around Friday without a noticeable limp, but he is still unlikely to play Saturday for precautionary reasons.

Nedovic was scheduled to play only one game in Las Vegas. He is flying Sunday to join the Serbian national team in preparation for EuroBasket 2013 in September.

Nedovic, who signed his rookie contract Tuesday, is expected to be ready for Warriors training camp in October.

Shooting guard Kevin Murphy, whom the Warriors acquired from Utah in the three-team deal that netted Andre Iguodala, will play for Golden State's summer league team in Las Vegas. Big man Craig Smith, who was listed on the summer league roster, is no longer expected to play.